Responses of polycystic ovarian syndrome and related variants to low-dose follicle stimulating hormone.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether patients with classical polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) respond differently to low-dose FSH therapy in comparison with anovulatory patients (PCOS-like) where only some features of PCOS are present.

METHODS

Two groups of patients were studied. The PCOS group (25 patients, 51 cycles) and the PCOS-like group (38 patients, 57 cycles) were treated with the same protocol of purified FSH, commencing with an initial dosage of 75 IU/day and increasing by 37.5 IU/day after 14 days, where necessary. Estradiol levels and ultrasonographic evidence of follicular development were used for monitoring.

RESULTS

PCOS patients required more ampules of FSH, needed more days of gonadotropin stimulation, secreted higher levels of E2 and had increased numbers of intermediate follicles compared to the PCOS-like group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated significant differences between PCOS and other PCOS-like conditions when treated with low-dose FSH. Classification of the subvariants of PCOS may have therapeutic implications.